Preview — Storm Damage by Ed Kovacs

Storm Damage

In the aftermath of a Category 5 hurricane in New Orleans, Private Eye Cliff St. James, a bare-knuckled ex-cop and mixed-martial artist, is stuckwith the case offinding a missing person whose disappearance may have ties to Washington.

When a Category 5 hurricane devastates New Orleans, the fresh murder of a politically-connected bar owner gets swept under—literally—until

In the aftermath of a Category 5 hurricane in New Orleans, Private Eye Cliff St. James, a bare-knuckled ex-cop and mixed-martial artist, is stuck with the case of finding a missing person whose disappearance may have ties to Washington.

When a Category 5 hurricane devastates New Orleans, the fresh murder of a politically-connected bar owner gets swept under—literally—until in the gritty aftermath of the city’s recovery a bare-knuckled ex-cop and mixed-martial artist attacks the case like a hungry dog chasing a meat truck. With no forensic evidence, a destroyed crime scene, and no corpse, Cliff St. James uncovers possible CIA involvement and learns that his duplicitous client, as well as each of his other suspects, are guilty of—at the very least—multiple felonies. It’s New Orleans, after all. With a contract on his head as Fat Tuesday dawns, Cliff calls in every chit and breaks every rule to solve the murder and end a new wave of murders.

Community Reviews

Cliff St James is on his last shift as a New Orleans police officer just as Hurricane Katrina is about to hit the Crescent City hard. He goes on one last call to a well- known bar, where the owner has apparently been shot and robbed. There’s no time to call the medical examiner or the CSI team; all first-responders are ordered back to headquarters in an effort to keep them as safe as possible in the face of the storm’s wrath. Months later, a now-retired Cliff is asked by the dead man’s daug2.5**

Cliff St James is on his last shift as a New Orleans police officer just as Hurricane Katrina is about to hit the Crescent City hard. He goes on one last call to a well- known bar, where the owner has apparently been shot and robbed. There’s no time to call the medical examiner or the CSI team; all first-responders are ordered back to headquarters in an effort to keep them as safe as possible in the face of the storm’s wrath. Months later, a now-retired Cliff is asked by the dead man’s daughter to investigate. She wants answers and her father had always told her that St James was a good guy, the only trustworthy cop he knew.

There is a kernel of a great story here. But Kovacs who, according to the book jacket, has a background in intelligence that sounds suspiciously like a former CIA agent, seems intent on bringing in every possible conspiracy, counter-conspiracy, subterfuge and secret relationship that ever graced the pages of a crime or espionage novel. The plot gets so convoluted that Cliff (and the reader) completely forgets the purpose of his investigation and instead goes after numerous drug dealers, gang-bangers, corrupt public servants, and highly-connected “businessmen” (i.e. crime bosses). Only in the last twenty pages does he go back to the main purpose of his investigation and manages to conveniently solve the case with nary a clue or foreshadowing anywhere in the rest of the book.

Kovacs does have some skill in writing a page turner. The plot moves quickly, and there are enough scenes where the hero is in a dangerous situation to add drama and suspense. But he also tends to be repetitive. More than once he described the Mardi Gras revelers as celebrating “countless cocktail parties, brunches, high teas, coffee klatches with ubiquitous king cakes, rehearsals, banquets and dinners” using almost the exact same litany of events.

I really enjoyed this book. It helped me get out of my sci-fi niche. I really felt like I was in New Orleans when I read it. I like his gritty and dark portrayal of the people but especially the cops. He really showed that people, even good ones, can still have a dark side but doesn't mean they don't have an honor of their own. I was able to piece some of it together but he kept me guessing until the end which is good because nothing is worse than having to finish a book when you solved the mystI really enjoyed this book. It helped me get out of my sci-fi niche. I really felt like I was in New Orleans when I read it. I like his gritty and dark portrayal of the people but especially the cops. He really showed that people, even good ones, can still have a dark side but doesn't mean they don't have an honor of their own. I was able to piece some of it together but he kept me guessing until the end which is good because nothing is worse than having to finish a book when you solved the mystery half way through. Some people complained that the plot was too convoluted and there were too many extraneous characters. After having read Robert Jordan or Brent weeks this doesn't even come close to convoluted....more

Did you know you could still drive through New Orleans today and see blue tarps on the homes and signs with red X painted on them nailed to the outside walls? Even after all of the time that has elapsed since Katrina hit the city is not even close to being restored. Along Interstate 10 you can see a large field with FEMA trailers in it that stretches as far as the eye can see. The media (as well as everyone in America) have moved on to other problems while New Orleans is still trying to get backDid you know you could still drive through New Orleans today and see blue tarps on the homes and signs with red X painted on them nailed to the outside walls? Even after all of the time that has elapsed since Katrina hit the city is not even close to being restored. Along Interstate 10 you can see a large field with FEMA trailers in it that stretches as far as the eye can see. The media (as well as everyone in America) have moved on to other problems while New Orleans is still trying to get back on her feet. The reason I said all of that was to say this, Ed Kovacs brings you back to New Orleans after the storm and reminds you of the terror the people of that city have fought through. This is a good mystery with several twists you will not see coming, it has an underlying love story that leaves you pulling for the parties involved and it has enough violence to keep you interested but not so much as to turn your stomach. It is a good solid read and I am glad I won this one off of Goodreads giveaways because I may not have ever heard of it had it not been for this site. One post on this site said this was a slow read, well that may be true if you read slow. The action starts off on page one and the plot thickens until the last few pages where you find the solution to the crime. Go ahead and indulge yourself and read this book, I am sure you will enjoy it....more

I picked this up not knowing anything about the author. What I got was a pretty solid mystery that kept me guessing. The characters and the plot were convoluted, but never enough so that the story got lost. The characters were also engaging and the writing was solid, with no left over loose ends that can really unravel how well a thriller is put together. The book reads quickly and I look forward to reading another book by this author.

This book is very hard to put down! It was a good, solid mystery from page one and unlike so many books in this genre, it keeps you guessing until the very end. I found the setting and context to be fascinating. The descriptions of the cultures and sub cultures for New Orleans, gangs, and the Asians were fascinating and believable. The character development was wonderful. As a reader you get to know and understand the characters, flaws and good parts alike.

Overall, a great read or someone who eThis book is very hard to put down! It was a good, solid mystery from page one and unlike so many books in this genre, it keeps you guessing until the very end. I found the setting and context to be fascinating. The descriptions of the cultures and sub cultures for New Orleans, gangs, and the Asians were fascinating and believable. The character development was wonderful. As a reader you get to know and understand the characters, flaws and good parts alike.

Overall, a great read or someone who enjoys a good mystery.

Reader received a complimentary copy from Good Reads First Reads. This in no way affected the review of this book....more

Storm Damage takes place in and around New Orleans shortly after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans is my favorite American city and I've visited numerous times on business and for pleasure. The places described are very familiar to me, so as PI (private investigator) St. James describes each area he travel while solving the murder mystery, I felt like I was right there with him. Mr. Kovacs' writing kept me interested in the story, just enough details to help me keep track of whatStorm Damage takes place in and around New Orleans shortly after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans is my favorite American city and I've visited numerous times on business and for pleasure. The places described are very familiar to me, so as PI (private investigator) St. James describes each area he travel while solving the murder mystery, I felt like I was right there with him. Mr. Kovacs' writing kept me interested in the story, just enough details to help me keep track of what's going on, but not so much details as to be distracting. I also like how the author kept me guessing until the last few pages. Good book!...more

this book was alright. the beginning was kind of slow and repetitive, but still a good read. This book is about a hurricane/murder of a politically involved bar owner and how everyone is trying to solve the case. i feel like this is a book that most people can relate to since the author describes the setting so well, and feeling are familiar with this hurricane. I also like how the author keeps you guessing until the end. He also has a wide knowledge of New Orleans, and the police tactics and methis book was alright. the beginning was kind of slow and repetitive, but still a good read. This book is about a hurricane/murder of a politically involved bar owner and how everyone is trying to solve the case. i feel like this is a book that most people can relate to since the author describes the setting so well, and feeling are familiar with this hurricane. I also like how the author keeps you guessing until the end. He also has a wide knowledge of New Orleans, and the police tactics and methods which are good qualities to creating a good conflict....more

Ex-cop and sometimes private eye Cliff St. James looks into the murder of a friend in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. St. James runs a martial arts training facility and knows a lot of interesting people. Kovacs writes well in his first outing, and endows the book with a strong sense of place, though it doesn't take tons of insight to spot the bad guys and the almost-bad guys. (Spoiler alert: It is a convention of p.i. novels that really good looking women represent trouble, so why doesn't SEx-cop and sometimes private eye Cliff St. James looks into the murder of a friend in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. St. James runs a martial arts training facility and knows a lot of interesting people. Kovacs writes well in his first outing, and endows the book with a strong sense of place, though it doesn't take tons of insight to spot the bad guys and the almost-bad guys. (Spoiler alert: It is a convention of p.i. novels that really good looking women represent trouble, so why doesn't St. James know that, smart guy that he is.)...more

Great book! The author keeps you guessing until the very end. No way to figure this out. And it is such a believable story in a setting we are all familiar with beacause of all the media attention during and after the hurricane. Kovacs has a remarkable way with words and details. His knowledge of the New Orleans area, police tactics and methods, food, aviation related details,and Asian culture are all right on. You won't be able to put it down once you start.

I really enjoyed this book. A must read for anyone who enjoys a good solid detective novel with twists and turns up to the end. I had a hard time putting it down. Kovacs is a great story teller. I felt like I was right there in New Orleans with Cliff. Kovacs brought the characters to life and kept me intrigued and engaged to the end. Fast paced and exciting! Enjoy!

3.5 Fascinating reading about New Orleans before and after hurricane Karina and to top it off a disappearing crime scene and body because of the hurricane. Liked the character Cliff St. James and the semi noir tone to the book which covers the political corruption and violence pf the city. Well done by someone who knows or seems to know every inch of the city.

I enjoyed this book a lot and will definitely read the follow up: Good Junk. Storm Damage introduced the reader to Cliff St. James PI, a character I would liken (only a little!) to Connelly's Harry Bosch. The book had a lot of quirky episodes and was full of New Orleans "We do things our own way" action.

Great book. Reminds me of the golden age of private detectives--a litte dark, a little sexy, and plenty of deception and excitement. Set in New Orleans 6 months after Katrina, it's also a terrific setting. As a former New Orleans resident, I can tell you that it's very culturally accurate.

An ex-NOLA police officer turns PI to find out the truth about a senseless murder that happens just as Katrina hits the city. Love this novel. The descriptions of the city right after the storm are heart-breaking.

ED KOVACS is the author of six novels, including the critically-acclaimed Detective Cliff St. James series set in New Orleans, post-killer hurricane.

My suspense-thriller THE RUSSIAN BRIDE will be published by St. Martin's Press in April, 2015.

BURNT BLACK, Cliff St. James #3, was published in 2013.

"The vibrant description of occult doings mixes well with the movements of theearthbound characters,ED KOVACS is the author of six novels, including the critically-acclaimed Detective Cliff St. James series set in New Orleans, post-killer hurricane.

My suspense-thriller THE RUSSIAN BRIDE will be published by St. Martin's Press in April, 2015.

BURNT BLACK, Cliff St. James #3, was published in 2013.

"The vibrant description of occult doings mixes well with the movements of the earthbound characters, making this Cliff and Honey’s best outing to date." -- Kirkus

"What lingers after the demons are downed is St. James’ obliquely funny personality. A fine, offbeat procedural." -- Booklist

"This series has a definite southern noir feel, and its rough around the edges locale will be catnip to some readers, like myself." -- Criminal Element

GOOD JUNK, Cliff St. James #2, was published in 2012 to excellent reviews. "The scenes of New Orleans are rich and real." NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW

Publisher's Weekly gave Good Junk the rare honor of a *starred*, boxed review."Kovacs outstanding second Cliff St. James novel..." --PW

"With so many twists and turns, even the most devoted noir fans may wish they had a map. But it’s well worth trying to find the way." KIRKUS

"Kovacs maintains a fast pace, and his descriptions of a steamy, seamy, badly managed city that is failing torecover from Katrina are jolting and plausible. Good Junk has plenty of action—and high-tech gadgetry, too--" --BOOKLIST

Kovacs' UNSEEN FORCES came out in 2005; his crime-thriller STORM DAMAGE was published by St. Martin's Press in 2011 to excellent reviews.

Ed is a member of AFIO, Association for Intelligence Officers, American Legion Post 299, the International Thriller Writers organization, and the Mystery Writers of America.

"Powerful as a Category Five hurricane, Storm Damage by Ed Kovacs is a riveting journey into murder, politics, and greed. Kovacs writes like a master, bringing to exciting life colorful and cosmopolitan New Orleans. In the aftermath of Katrina, brand-new private investigator Cliff St. James is thrown into a cauldron of lies, felonies, and violence just as Mardi Gras begins. This is a spicy, thrilling story as unforgettable as an excellent gumbo." –Gayle Lynds, NYT bestselling Author ...more